Green Bay Packers select Carrington Valentine in seventh round of 2023 NFL Draft

Carrington Valentine developed a ton over his three seasons at Kentucky. That hard work and effort has now paid off, though, as he was selected by the Green Bay Packers with the No. 232 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Valentine arrived in Lexington as a three-star prospect in the 2020 class per On3’s Industry Rankings. He just cracked the Top 1,000 prospects overall but was rated as a Top-100 cornerback in his class.

Then, after a decent freshman year where he appeared in 10 contests, he truly came into his own as a sophomore and a junior. In 2021, Valentine posted career highs in tackles with 61 while also finishing with five pass deflections and a sack. After that, he produced similar numbers in 2022 with 46 tackles, a career-high nine pass deflections, another sack, and the lone interception of his collegiate career.

Confidence is not something Valentine has ever lacked, especially when in coverage. During the evaluation process, he went as far as to describe himself as ‘the best press-man corner‘ in the draft. That’s why, in the end, he felt ready to take the next step into the NFL.

With a lot of room still left to grow, Valentine’s confidence may help him continue on his path towards being a top secondary prospect from this draft down the line. Even so, we’ll have to wait and see how that goes once he arrives in Green Bay.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Valentine

In Lance Zierlein’s eyes, he thinks Valentine has all the physical tools to succeed as a pro. However, there are certain areas in which he can improve, namely instincts, body control, and a need to be more focused when defending run plays.

“Valentine has the physical traits necessary for the NFL. The instincts and body control to extend his coverage against quality route runners leaves something to be desired,” Zierlein wrote on NFL.com. “He’s solid at crowding vertical throws and can play press-and-bail, but he has had coverage busts in zone. Also, he bites too easily on double moves. Valentine’s lack of aggression as a run defender could make it tougher for zone teams to give him a chance.”